Men Are All the Same
by MsRachelPaige
Summary: Elena Gilbert is a part-time college student, and a waitress at Hooters. Damon Salvatore is a drunk, and regular customer. They become closer, but Damon has a rather strange secret. AU.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a fun side-story I've been working on for a while now. I had a lot of fun writing it, so I decided to post it for you to read and review. In this story, Elena is a waitress at Hooters. She's 21, and lives with her gay brother, Jeremy. Elena is working a regular night, and notices a rather mysterious individual at her restaurant.

I walk over to the mysterious man who was seated in my section. He has dark hair, and he's wearing exclusively black clothes. His face was pleasing, and his jawline was absolutely swoon-worthy. I didn't get very many attractive customers, to be honest, and it was always a treat when they sit in my section. When I get closer to the table, I realize that he has bright blue eyes. His eyes stopped me in my tracks, and I felt like was purposely trying to seduce me with them. His eyes were almost as blue as the gaudy ring he has on his finger.

He looks at me expectantly, as if he was waiting for me to say something. "Um. Hello, sir, can I get you something to drink from the bar?" I ask politely to the stranger, making sure that my cleavage was in check. I always hated when I had to wear these revealing tops for work. It was a white tank top, had the words "Hooters" written across the front, and was cut down the middle to emphasize my chest. I wore bright orange shorts with it. It wasn't exactly the most conservative job, but the tips I got were absolutely worth it.

"Do you have Bourbon whiskey?" he asks.

Usually, people just wind up ordering a beer and a burger. Barely anybody orders the heavy stuff when they come here. "We sure do! I'll go get that for you," I say nicely. He gives me a small smirk, and I head over to the bar. I ask the barmaid to get the Bourbon. She raises her eyebrows, and I point at the mysterious customer who ordered it.

"Oh, honey, he comes here all the time. I think he's a drunk," the barmaid, Jenna, says.

"I wonder what happened to him," I say absently, knowing that people don't drink their sorrows away for no reason. Usually, when drunks come in here, they get so drunk that they start to tell the waitresses about their hardships. Sometimes, we have to call up a taxi for them if we think they're too wrecked to drive.

Jenna hands me the glass of whiskey, and I carry it over to the stranger. I set it down on a napkin, and ask him, "Anything else I can get for you this evening?"

"I'm alright," he says, and I start to walk off. "Wait. Do you mind sharing your company with me?"

"I'm terribly sorry, sir. I have other customers waiting," It was a lie. We were actually getting close to closing time, so most of the tables were empty and most of the waitresses had already gone home. In truth, I was feeling kind of embarrassed around the stranger. I didn't know why, but I felt oddly drawn to him.

"Do you?" he asks, eyeing all of the empty tables, and catching me in my lie.

"I suppose they can wait," I reply smoothly. I sit in the chair opposite from his. "I'm Elena," I say, as I sit down.

"I gathered that," he says as he eyes my name badge, that was on my left breast. He eyes my cleavage momentarily, and I smirk. "I'm Damon. Pleased to meet you," he greets, as he reaches across the table to touch my hand. He brings my hand up to his lips, and kisses it softly.

"So Damon, what are you doing here, just twenty minutes before closing time?" I ask him, once he releases my hand.

He leans forward slightly, and folds his hands together in front of his face. "Boredom," he answers vaguely. I raise my brow at him, and he asks, "Are you southern?"

"I'm Virginian," I reply.

"I just got back from Mystic Falls."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "You've been to Mystic Falls? I was born and raised there! It's such a sad little town," I say, my voice becoming sullen. My parents died in a house fire, when I was very young. I had been at a party with my brother, Jeremy, and when we got back, there were fire trucks and flames ablaze. My parents died instantly, and Jeremy and I were lucky that we weren't at the house.

"I found Mystic Falls to be… charming, actually," he says as he takes a sip from his glass of whiskey. He makes a slight face as the alcohol goes down his throat, and finishes, "I go to Mystic Falls to visit my brother from time to time."

I nod, get up from my chair, and ask, "You sure there isn't anything else I could get for you?"

"I'm sure. Just sit, and talk with me." Reluctantly, I sit down again. "I like talking to you. You're not like the girls you work with."

Well, he had a point there. Lots of the girls I work with weren't very real. They had fake hair, fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake breasts, fake… everything. I seemed to be the only waitress who didn't bleach my hair, and drown myself in makeup. "Thank you," I reply, unsure on how else to take that.

"You're very welcome, Elena," Damon says sincerely. He puts the glass to his mouth, and tilts the drink back. He downs the entire thing.

I raise my eyebrows at him and ask, "Rough night?"

"You could say so," he replies vaguely. He looks around at the desolate restaurant. Jenna, Rebekah, and I were the only ones still working. "Is it closing time?" he asks.

I look at my watch, to find that it is five minutes past closing time. "Well, it appears that my shift is over. You have a good rest of the night, Damon." I send him a lingering glance, and slowly rise from my chair.

"Would you like to join me for a cigarette?" he asks, pointing to the smoking area that was outside of the restaurant. I nod, and tell him that I need to close for the evening, but I promised to meet up with him once I was done. He leaves money on the table and goes outside.

I closed up, and sure enough, he was outside waiting. He had a lit cigarette in his hand. The smoke coiled from the burning end, and disappeared into the air. He puffed on it a couple times before stomping it out on the ground. He offers me a cigarette, and I politely refuse. "Truth is, I don't smoke. I just don't want to go home right now," I say. He asks my why, and I reply, "My brother has a date. My bet is that he's still there at our apartment. I walked in on them last Saturday, and I'm too embarrassed to face him," I didn't know why I was telling a stranger about my living conditions, or my brother's promiscuity, but I felt a need to vent.

Damon seemed to find this amusing. "Sorry to hear it," he says.

"What's your excuse for being out here so late? Don't you have a girlfriend to get home to?" I ask, with a playful smile.

That comment made him lose his smirk pretty quickly. "Not anymore," he answers. I realized I'd struck a nerve, and decide not to ask any more questions. Surprisingly, he ends up explaining. "My girlfriend slept with my brother. She cheated on me, and I was willing to make things work, but she dumped me. I've been on the road ever since."

I actually gasp. "I can't believe that. I'm sorry," I say sincerely.

"Katherine broke my heart," he says, as he takes a flask out of his pocket, "what a fucking surprise!" He tips the flask back and gulps down some of the alcohol that was in the flask. He offers it to me, and drunkenly says, "Cheers to solitude."

I refuse the alcohol. I was untrusting of alcohol, and more so of unusual men. "I don't drink," I explain. Well, at least I don't when I'm around complete strangers. When I drink, it gets hard to differentiate between a good choice and a bad choice. That and, you never know what someone could slip in your drink. "I don't trust myself," I say. I give him a look that told him that I don't trust others either.

"Understandable," he mutters, before he downs the rest of whatever was in the flask. "You know, you're too beautiful to work at a place like Hooters. You shouldn't have to deal with demanding and perverted customers. It's such a degrading job. You could make a better living. You should be in pictures," he says drunkenly.

I was confused as to why he cared. "Thank you. I'm in school right now, actually. I'm going to be a writer. I like working here, I get tipped better."

"Doesn't it get obnoxious? Don't you ever get tired of it?" He took a step closer to me.

His closeness and the intensity of his words had me at a loss of breath. "Well, what else should I do?" I ask breathlessly, "I can't pay for school without this job."

"Get a different job. Anything else is better. The people who come to Hooters come to see trashy women, and you're not trashy at all. You're young and beautiful, and you deserve a better job." He says. I found it hard to take what he was saying seriously.

I laugh wearily, and say, "Well, it's the best job I've been able to get. Do you have any idea how good of tips I get here? Perverted old men may be rude, and demanding, but they sure know how to tip. It's all about money. That's why I have this job. I'm not here because I enjoy it, Damon. I can't pay for my college classes! My parents died, and I have no way to pay for any of it! I can hardly pay for my half of the rent sometimes. If I quit this job, I have no way of supporting myself!"

He was taken aback, and he asks, "Shouldn't your boyfriend be helping you with your expenses?"

I roll my eyes and say, "I don't depend on anybody to help me. I'm the one who wants to go to school, so I should be the one to pay for it."

"Fair enough," he replies calmly, "Sorry for bothering you." He begins walking to his car.

"No, I didn't mean to be rude," I say, "I appreciate the concern for my financial stability, but I really am fine. This new job is helping a lot. I may have to put up with a lot, but I'm so much more financially comfortable in this job." It was true. I made good money, and I didn't owe Jeremy as much money at the end of the month. I could finally pay for my half of the rent. I didn't understand why Damon was so concerned with it.

He walks over to me again. "I'm sorry," he apologizes, "I'll mind my own business. I just think that you're much too pretty to work at a dump like Hooters."

"T-thanks," I say shakily. He was really close to me again. "You're pretty handsome yourself. What's an attractive man like you doing at a dump like Hooters?" I ask, mocking his last comment.

He puts his hand over mine, and says flirtatiously, "Hooters _is_ a dump. Why don't we get out of here?"

"And go where, your place?" I ask teasingly. I wasn't really being serious. His eyes widened, so he must have thought I was being serious.

He shakes his head, and answers charmingly, "As intriguing as that idea sounds, I think we should go to coffee to start." I was about to open my mouth to ask him what coffeehouse would be open at this hour. I was then reminded of the one that was across the street, which was open twenty four-seven. I nod, and let him buy me a decaf mocha.

Inside the coffeehouse, we got a few looks. I was still in my work uniform, which probably looked pretty questionable. The people that were in the store were drunk, and trying to fight a hangover with coffee.

Damon went over to the booth I selected, and handed me my coffee. It was odd to have a date at one in the morning. I wasn't even sure on if it was a date or not. "So, Damon," I begin.

"Elena," he responds.

I tried to think of some questions that you're supposed to ask when you go on a date, but came up blank. "How old are you?" I ask lamely.

"Twenty-three," he answers, "How old are you, Elena?"

"I just had my twenty-first birthday last week," I reply.

He glances outside momentarily and asks me, "Do you want to take our coffee to go? It's a beautiful night."

I glance outside, and smile. The stars were twinkling, and the moon was almost full. It was a wonderfully picturesque night. I nodded, and told him that I loved taking walks at night. We shared little details about ourselves, and realized that we had a lot more in common than we thought. We sit down on a bench in the park. We sip our coffee as we stargaze.

"I'm glad I sat in your section tonight," he says kindly, "I'm glad I met you." He leans in close, and I gaze at his lips in desire. He suddenly presses his lips to mine. His hand finds my face, and strokes my cheek slightly. I respond to the kiss after some hesitation. I bite his lower lip softly, and giggle. He smiles against my lips, and we hear heels clacking in the distance. He pulls away to see if anyone was going to interrupt our kiss, and we discover a woman in her mid-sixties.

"A romantic night," she mutters sullenly to herself, as she passes our bench.

We breathe sighs of relief once she is gone. I initiate the second kiss. His tongue enters my mouth, and I respond by twirling my tongue around his. Our tongues intertwine and dance, and I feel dizzy and at a loss for breath. We sit together, embracing, for the better part of fifteen minutes. I pull away to say, "It's near two, I should be going soon."

"Do you want me to walk you to your car?" he asks politely.

I nod, and we walk together to the parking lot. He writes his number down on one of the papers I have in my pocket, and I tell him that I'll call him after I get off work tomorrow. I get in my car, send him a wave, and drive off.

When I arrive at my apartment, Jeremy and Tyler are cuddled up in bed. I go to the bathroom, and remove my makeup. I go to bed almost instantly, having pleasant dreams. When I awake, Jeremy and Tyler are making breakfast. The smell of eggs and delicious fresh fruit consume my senses. I walk out to the kitchen, and Jeremy calls out, "Morning, sis!"

"Hey, Jer," I say, as I get a plate.

"You were out late," he notices, "I was going to wait up for you, but Tyler damn near exhausted me!"

I nod, and say, "I had a date."

He excitedly asks for details, which I give, and I excuse myself to get ready for one of my writing classes at school. My professor was happy with my newest poetry. My best friend and classmate, Caroline, was excited about my date. Later, I had to get ready for a long shift at work. I enjoyed working the afternoon shift because it was a lot less pressure, and the customers were happier.

Work was very uneventful, and I hurry home to call Damon. He answers on the third ring, and tells me that he wants to take me out on Friday night after I was done with my class. "I have something to tell you, and I have no idea how you'll take it," he said at one point during the phone conversation. He wouldn't tell me where we were going, but I was very excited. I liked Damon, and his presence was relaxing. I was willing to give him a shot, no matter what his little secret was.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I apologize for my absence. I promise I'll update this story weekly from now and on. Sorry for the long wait!

On Friday, I found myself anxious for the date I was going to have with Damon. I considered it our second date, even though the first had been very impromptu. I spent most of the day cleaning up the apartment, checking my email, and doing some other mundane tasks. When I didn't keep myself busy, my mind spun around in circles and I ended up overthinking things.

Damon picked me up around five, in his vintage convertible. He left the top down, and I let my long chocolate hair flow with the wind. The sun was still out, shining as bright as the six shades of hell. Damon looked absolutely dashing in his Ray Bans and his leather jacket. I found myself gazing at him, enthralled by him. He told me that we would be arriving at our destination very shortly.

We arrive at a rusted iron cast gate. There was a large letter "S" on the front of the gate. He got out to manually open the gate. We drove up the cobblestone drive, and arrived at an old fashioned home. It was huge, and made of grey brick and dark wooden panels. The curtains were all drawn. I felt like I was touring a haunted house.

It was huge and old looking, but charming nonetheless. He stopped the car next to the fountain that was in front of the house. "This is my place," Damon says, as we exit the car and head toward the mansion. I was kind of expecting that he would take me out to a public place, but I was content with seeing his home. He takes out a key, and unlocks the door. He grasps my hand and leads me through the doorway. I have to withhold a gasp when I see the home.

It's old fashioned, and looks like it was made in the early nineteenth century. It has ornate mahogany flooring, which is covered partially with red carpeting. There is a decorative mural on the walls, and a large marble sculpture in the entryway. There was a large glass chandelier in the living space, and a stone fireplace. Above the fireplace was a large portrait of a woman, who was dressed like she was from the eighteen hundreds. Honestly, I was intimidated. I had no idea that Damon would live in such an antique home. No wonder he wanted to show it off to me on our date. "This place is beautiful, Damon. I feel like I'm not dressed appropriately," I say with a slight giggle.

"You're perfect," he says in a tender voice.

"Who is that?" I ask, pointing to the portrait of the woman above the fireplace. She had stark black hair, pale skin, and striking blue eyes like Damon's. Her dress was cinched at the waist, and looked extremely uncomfortable. She wore a large cameo pendant, and she was just beautiful.

"A distant relative," he answers vaguely, his voice sullen.

"What is going on with you?" I ask him. I knew that he had a little secret, and I was in no mood to play a guessing game with him. I would have preferred if he would have told me last night, but I guess now is better than later. "What did you need to tell me?"

He swallowed hard, and asked, "I have dinner ready, so why don't we eat first?"

I sigh deeply. I wasn't amused. "Whatever." I didn't understand why he was stalling. What the hell could he be hiding? I was growing more and more impatient as the minutes passed. What if he had mommy issues? Or, even worse, what if he had cheating issues? My thoughts began to overwhelm me. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take another second of waiting for him to let the cat out of the bag. The longer he stalled, the more suspicious I grew.

He leads me to the dining table, and pulls out a chair for me. I sit down in the antique-y chair, and he and I wait for the food to finish cooking. I ask him what he does for a living, and he tells me that he's studying to become a doctor. The buzzer goes off and he brings out our food. He prepared (or bought) a lovely Italian meal. The table was covered in different pastas, and a large pizza. There was even a dessert for after dinner. "These are recipes that were passed through my family. The main course is a particular favorite of mine. It's Tagliatelle with mozzarella. I also have Ravioli, and Tiramisu for dessert." He pronounced the Italian names with eloquence. I recognized a slight accent when he spoke.

"You're Italian?" I ask abruptly.

"I was born and raised in Sicily. Stefan and I came to America a long time ago."

I pull my brows together in confusion. "You're in your twenties. What is 'a long time ago' to you?" I ask, growing more and more suspicious.

"It seems like yesterday," he answers smoothly.

"That isn't answering my question, Damon Salvatore," I scold.

He looks at me miserably. He looks as if he really wants to get whatever it is off of his chest. "I'm sorry," he apologizes. I wasn't in the mood for this. At this point I was extremely nervous to know what his secret was. I was growing more and more suspicious. We ate in silence, because I wanted to give him a hard time for not sharing information. I took a deep breath and rose from my chair. "Fine," he grumbles. He rises from his chair angrily, grabs my hand, and leads me upstairs. We walk past at least ten doors, before he leads me to a particular door. He opens the door and urges me to go inside. "Please, sit." I sit down on the deep burgundy chaise, and wait for him to start talking. "Okay," he takes a deep breath, "okay."

"Christ, Damon," I breathe. I cross my arms like a child, and let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm not who you think I am. I'm not like you," he begins. "I'm not who I pretend to be." He was being as vague as possible, so I angrily told him to cut to the chase. "I'm dead."

"That better not be a shitty metaphor," I say wearily.

He widens his eyes, enraged. "No, Elena, I'm literally dead."

"I don't have time for this, Damon," I say, rolling my eyes. I couldn't believe he was playing the crazy card with me. What the hell was going on with him? I didn't want to stick around and listen to his nonsense, so I got up from the chaise and made my way for the door. He grips my arm, urging me to come back. "Ow," I say, retorting from his grip. The tips of his fingers pushed against my skin with such a force, that I actually winced.

"Listen to me, because it's dangerous for you to know. I _need _to tell you. I like you a lot, and I don't want to keep secrets. Don't run from me, don't scream, but most of all, please don't think I'm joking." He gulps, and waits five seconds before finishing his sentence. "I'm twenty-two, and I have been since 1864. I'm dead, Elena. I'm a vampire."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Damon?" I ask.

"I'm a vampire," Damon repeats himself more clearly, as if he thinks I'm slow.

"A vampire? Are you serious?" I turn away from him, and let out a small laugh. "Okay, Dracula, I get it. You have some sort of odd vampire fetish, and whatever floats your boat I guess-"

"I really am a vampire, Elena," Damon interrupts.

I roll my eyes. "Fine, prove it."

"This is childish," Damon grumbles.

I put a hand on my hip impatiently and say, "So is making me wait." He gives me a questioning expression, but complies. He moves his arm to my neck, and moves my long strands of hair away from my neck. He glances at the dead center of my neck, and focuses. I gasp as his eyes begin to grow bloodshot. I begin to feel lightheaded, and want nothing more than to sit back down on that chaise. I glance out to the hallway, and know what I have to do. I begin to make a run for it, but before I can make a single step, he is in front of me. I see sharp teeth protruding from his gums. He reaches his hand out to me to stop me from running. I look at his hand, and his fingernails had grown at least five centimeters. They had points on the tips and they looked more animal than human. "Holy shit," I manage to exclaim before losing consciousness.

I awake in a bed. I felt scared, and confused. I looked up and noticed Damon hovering over me, holding a glass of water. Fear builds up, and I widen my eyes. I instantly jump to the other side of the bed. "I'm sorry," he says sullenly, "I didn't mean to- I didn't want to be in the dark anymore about this. I wanted you to know. You can't tell anyone." He offers me the glass of water.

I take the glass of water and gulp it down slowly. "Listen, I know you think you did me a favor in telling me about it, but I'm creeped out. I don't know what you expected my reaction to be, but I don't think I can continue seeing you if you're going to want to drink my blood. I promise I won't tell anyone, but right now, you need to get away from me. You're not human, and that is a little bit too much for me to take in."

"I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't change who I am."

"I can't see you, Damon. Not anymore," I knew I sounded unreasonable, but he had fangs for cripes sake! It was really odd. I couldn't help but feel like I was thrown in the twilight zone.

"Why?" He sounded offended. Great. "You seemed pretty enthusiastic the other night. Would you rather me lie about what I am?"

"Of course not, Damon!" I yell back. His eyes are shocked at my sudden exclamation. I calm down, and lower my voice a few notches. "I need you to drive me home right now."

He leans in closer to me, and says, "I would never hurt you."

"Just stop. I appreciate your honesty and everything, but quite frankly, you scare the hell out of me. I- I don't think this will work out. I've seen enough vampire movies to know this can't end well, so will you drive me back to my apartment and never call me again?" I say, trying to maintain a monotonous voice so I don't break down. I was sick of having my relationships end badly. One minute you get along well with someone, and the next , they tell you something you were better off not knowing. I don't know how I'll be able to sleep at night knowing that there are vampires in my city. Hell, I made out with one! The world was getting too weird too quickly.

He drives me home in silence, and it was his turn to be angry. "I understand you're scared, but you can't tell anyone what I am. If people know I'm a vampire, I'll have to leave town and start a new life for myself. Humans could bring an army and have me murdered! If you tell anyone, I will have to silence you."

The way he said "silence" frightened me enough for a lifetime. "Maybe you shouldn't go around telling girls who you barely know that you're a fucking vampire!" I exclaim defensively. I didn't like threats.

"I'm sorry that I told you, I just thought you'd want to know exactly who walked into your restaurant last night. I wanted you to know exactly who you were making out with last night. I wanted you to know before you found out," he says in a softer voice.

"Don't be sorry you told me," I respond, "I'm glad you told me. It's better than me finding out later on. I appreciate your honesty, but knowing you have sharp teeth and that you kill people isn't exactly warming me up to you."

"Don't be so sure," he says suggestively, and I give him a wide-eyed glance. "Vampires have certain skills, certain _lovemaking_ skills, which I'm willing to bet you've never experienced. I never get tired. I have the strength of ten men, and the speed of a cheetah. If I gave you my blood, you'd have the most earth-shattering orgasm you could ever imagine. I can get into you deeper-"

I decide to stop him right there. I was beyond disturbed by his attempt to bed me. But, the most disturbing fact of all was that I was oddly intrigued. A part of me was almost willing to give in, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I bit my lower lip, somewhat teasingly. "If that's your attempt in getting in my pants, you're disappointingly mistaken. I'm not going to fuck you because you're a vampire. How can you be so cocky to think I would? I don't date men because of what they're like in bed. I date men _who won't drink my blood._" He looks at me as if I had just slapped him. We arrive in front of my apartment building, and I get out. I turn around and face him. "Don't come back here. I'll call you if I change my mind, but do not count on it." I was being fierce because of his earlier comment. Even if he sounded amazing in bed, I wasn't going to put up with that. "Goodbye, Damon."

I sit down on the couch in my apartment, angry and confused by what I had found out about Damon. Even though I was unsure about Damon, I couldn't help but feel glad that he told me. Something about knowing this made me feel closer to him. He trusted me with his secret, but why?

"Sis," I hear from the doorway. I gasp and nearly jump out of my skin. "Jesus, Elena, you look like you've just spotted a ghost!"

I laugh, and exclaim, "You scared me!"

"Sorry about that," he says. He strips off his coat and hangs it up on the coat hanger.

"Where's your boyfriend?" I ask.

He grumbles, and sits down next to me on the couch. "Oh, he's at work again. Tyler's boss is a fucking vampire. He's literally sucked up all of his free time this week!"

I gasp, "What did you just say?"

Jeremy widens his eyes at me, "Jesus Christ, I didn't mean that literally. What the hell's gotten into you, Elena?"

I shake my head vigorously. "Y-yes, a metaphor, I see. No, no, nothing's wrong. I'm just tired, yeah," I say quickly, barely taking a breath between words, "Tired, really tired." He looks at me as if he suspected I was completely drunk. "I'm just going to go to bed and um, sleep."

"Your date go okay?" He asks before I get up.

I roll my eyes before answering, "Yeah, it was fine. I don't think there will be a second date, though."

"Why's that? You were just telling me about how gorgeous he is. I'd like to meet him!"

I nod, not really in the mood to give him a detailed answer. I wasn't in the mood for talking about Damon. The man had been in my thoughts all day! I didn't need his name in my mouth too. I knew that if I wasn't careful I'd end up telling Jeremy about Damon. I owed it to Damon to not tell anyone, and I didn't want to be "silenced"… whatever that meant. I feigned drowsiness, and staggered off to my bedroom. I collapse on my bed, making an irritated noise simultaneously. I bury my head in my hands and let out another irritated sigh. I was angry at myself for overreacting with Damon, and I was even angrier with myself for telling him that we wouldn't work out. I know it sounds crazy, but I wanted to give him another chance. I knew he didn't want to hurt me, because if he did, he would have done so by now. If he had negative intentions, he wouldn't have let me live considering I know he's a vampire. He would have seen me as a threat to his secrecy. So why did he let me live? Why did he let me know his secret if secrecy was detrimental to his survival? Why would he make that risk for me?

I was intrigued by him, and I found myself wanting to dial his number. I cursed at myself and threw my phone across the room so I wasn't tempted. I put my palm to my face and grumbled at myself for being so stupid. Vampires drink our blood, and they kill, and that made Damon dangerous. Then again, maybe a little danger was exactly what I wanted. Maybe I was sick of my plain, mundane life. Throwing in a little danger could be exactly what I need. However, wasn't that a moronic idea? Why would I risk my life for some danger? I was feeling incredibly confused.

I went into work the next day, still pretty shaken up because of Damon's secret. I didn't get much sleep because I was up thinking about what the hell was going on. I couldn't get Damon's bloodshot eyes out of my head, and something about those razor sharp teeth made it difficult to fall asleep. I had deep under-eye circles, and I needed an extra dose of caffeine to get myself going. Jenna told me that I looked like I went through hell and back twice.

I picked up a tray of nearly twenty sodas, and began walking them over to their tables. The almost-bald man with the beard who ordered the cherry coke kept staring at my ass. The aging, conservative woman with him looked like she wanted nothing more than to throw her drink at him. It's a tough working environment, but hey, someone's got to do it. The tips I've gotten while working here are unbelievable. If I have to put up with a few horny rednecks in exchange for their hard cash, it's worth it. I can live easier than I ever could working at a regular restaurant. My line of work may not be entirely respectable, but it sure as hell paid for school and for my half of the apartment. It's always so embarrassing when I have to ask Jeremy to spot me a few Jacksons.

I feel a hand touch my shoulder from behind me. I gasp, and quickly turn around, spilling the remainder of drinks on my tray onto the floor. The glass shattered on the mahogany floor, and soda spattered on my bare legs. Apparently, I also spilled some soda on a customer. That wasn't the worst of it, either. Damon was the one who grabbed my shoulder. "Damn you, Damon. You just made me spill!"

"I'm really sorry, Elena, can I help you clean up?" He offers, sounding genuine.

"No, Damon, never mind that. Just sit back down at your table; I'll be right with you." He walks over to his table and folds his hands on the table top. He already has a glass of bourbon, so I figure that someone else has already been helping him.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" I hear from behind me. I glance over, and see Jenna. She's holding two mops. She hands one of them to me, and she uses the other one to help me clean.

"No idea. What do you care?" I ask.

She chuckles slightly, "I don't care any, I'm just wondering what he's doing here in the middle of the day. Usually he's here at night, like the other drunks."

Now that she said so, I found myself wondering how the hell he was out here. It was sunny, and if I wasn't mistaken, vampires hate sunny weather. "Yeah, that is pretty weird. Maybe he's day drinking because of something that happened in his love life," I say jokingly. Jenna laughs. I glance at him and he glances back at me with a warm smile. I raise an eyebrow at him, and continue cleaning up the floor. If I didn't have this mess mopped up, my boss was going to fire me. Once I had the shards of glass and soda cleaned up off of the floor, I went over to Damon's table.

"So, you're stalking me now?" I mutter, so my boss couldn't hear.

"If you consider drinking at your place of work as stalking, I suppose I am. I wasn't aware that I couldn't come to Hooters to have a drink," Damon says smoothly.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "There are many other restaurants in the area."

He nods, "Well, I prefer coming here, if you don't mind."

I roll my eyes and respond, "You can always sit in someone else's section, because I honestly don't want to deal with you right now."

"Perhaps I'll grow on you," he suggests, his blue eyes smoldering. He grips my hand, and gives me a flirtatious smirk. "I think you like me more than you let on."

"Ugh. Don't flatter yourself," I retort, pretending to be disgusted. I smirk right back at him, release my hand from his grip. I look over to the clock that was hanging on the wall. "It's my break now. I think we should get a few things straight, so come on." I lead him out the smoking area where we met the other night. He looked at me expectantly, as if he thought I was going to yell at him or throw some sort of tantrum. "I wanted to apologize for overreacting last night. I didn't mean to yell at you."

He looked genuinely surprised. "Look, don't worry about it. It was too soon to tell you, and I apologize."

I nod, and ask, "So what's it like?"

"What is what like?" He asks in return, confused by what I was referring to.

"Being what you are, Damon. What is it like?" I ask again.

"It would take many of your lifetimes just to scratch the surface. I can't even begin to explain it, Elena. I don't want to scare you again."

I shake my head. I knew I wasn't afraid. Something about being here alone with Damon was reassuring. He wasn't being threatening, and I wasn't scared. I wanted nothing more than to know about him. I decided that instead of sitting home alone and waiting around for something to happen, I was going to go get it. "I'm not scared anymore. I want to know more. Can I ask questions?"

Damon smiles, and I can only assume that he is glad I'm not afraid anymore. "Anything you want to know, I should be able to answer," he answers.

"Please don't laugh at me, but how are you out here right now? It's sunny."

His smile widens and he lets out a small chuckle, even though I had urged him not to laugh. He extends his hand out to me and points at the gaudy blue ring on his finger. "It's all in the ring. It's called a lapis lazuli, and it keeps me from being burned."

"Huh, that's neat," I say. I grasp his hand in my own and touch the ring. In the light, the shiny indigo stone had speckles of gold. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. "So if you took that off, you'd burst into flames?" I still hadn't let go of his hand, which seemed to be alright with him.

He chuckles a second time. "Of course not, it's just extremely uncomfortable. I start to burn in a matter of seconds. If I don't retreat to shade, I'd get third degree burns all over my body. The burns take a while to heal, unless I treat myself to some O-neg," he says, smiling at the last bit.

I wrinkled my nose up in disgust. I suppose I wasn't used to vampire humor. "So do you drink from human…sources?" I ask, hesitating on the last word. I was unsure on how to ask the question without sounding like a total ignoramus.

He gulped slightly before answering. "Yes, but it's usually a willing source. Sometimes it comes from donors from the hospital," he responds.

I shudder. I noticed that he said "usually" instead of "always", which made me suspicious. "You steal from the hospital's blood supply? Are you aware of how many people are in need of blood donations? You can't just steal it-"

"Would you prefer the contrary?" he asks, cutting me off. He starts licking his lips and staring at my neck like it was a hamburger. I didn't appreciate that.

"What about animals? Isn't there some sort of diet based on animal blood instead of human blood?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "That's what my brother drinks and he's weaker than I am. Human blood is what we are supposed to drink. I personally dislike animal blood because of its plain taste. I don't like biting into animals. You get their damned fur in your mouth when you try."

I giggle slightly and ask him a few more questions. I discovered that holy water, crucifixes, and silver are all bullshit. He also had a reflection that I could clearly see from the window we were standing next to. He told me about vervain, and how it can burn him just like the sun. I felt more comfortable knowing that he had weaknesses. I now knew how to defend myself against vampires. I suddenly felt like he was more human than I thought. He may drink blood, but he wasn't as much of a monster as I had originally thought he was. Regrettably, my break came to an end. "Damon, I have to get back to work," I say.

He fills the space between us, quicker than anyone I've ever seen. I gasp when his muscular frame pushes against me. His icy blue eyes gaze into mine and he hesitates before leaning down to my lips and giving me a small peck. His lips part against mine ever so slightly, and he gently suctions on my lower lip. He rises up from my mouth to glance at me again, his eyes warmer than before. "Goodbye, Elena," he says. Abruptly, he is gone.

My lips form the word "what" and I'm standing alone. I glance around me at the empty parking lot, wondering how the hell he left so quickly. "I'll never begin to understand that," I mutter to myself before going back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

Around a month later, Damon brought me to the park next to Hooters. We had officially been referring to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend. At first it was kind of difficult to convince myself that I could date a different species. Knowing he had fangs and more than a hundred years on me was a little tough to swallow. Somewhere along the way, I decided that I didn't want to be in the dark anymore. Hell, I'm not perfect; why should I expect him to be? I was as happy as could be. Having a vampire boyfriend wasn't necessarily on my bucket list, but I couldn't imagine myself with anyone else.

"I know this is the last thing you want to talk about right now, but what happened with Stefan and Katherine? How did you find out?" I ask tenderly, trying to sound compassionate. On the night we met, Damon told me that his girlfriend Katherine cheated on him with his brother Stefan. I hadn't asked about it before, but I was undeniably curious.

He gives me look that I could only describe as vulnerable. "Well, I walked into our bedroom and found them. It's kind of been an ongoing thing." I give him a look to show him that I wasn't following. "Katherine is a vampire too, and she likes to play games. She's been toying with both me and Stefan for the past century. I can't be free of her."

"Why don't you just tell her to leave you all alone?" I ask, trying to make sense of the situation.

He widens his eyes at me, as if I'm insane. "They only way I'll be free of her is if I kill her," he says coldly. "However, she's much older than me, and stronger. I can't kill her." I assure him that he can kill her, and it's not right what she's doing to them. I was glad that she was all the way in Virginia, away from him. I knew she was trouble.

The old woman we saw when we first met was strolling through the park again. She was wearing a drab, long sleeved grey dress and her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a while. "Men are all the same," the old woman in the park muttered sullenly to herself.

What the hell was she talking about? My brows pulled together in confusion. I assumed that she was just a senile old lady, and that I shouldn't pay her much mind. Her way of speaking was so poetic, that I found myself feeling sorry for her. I hated the idea of growing old. I hated the idea of being seconds closer to deteriorating. I hated the idea of slowly losing my mind. I look at Damon, and am reminded that Damon will never have to go through aging. He'll always be the gorgeous man he is today, and eventually I'll deteriorate. I decide to ignore the crazy old woman, and I lean in for a kiss, on the same bench we kissed on the night we met. When I pulled away, I promised to meet him after my afternoon shift was over.

Around the end of my shift, Damon was sitting in my section again. I admired him from a distance and told my co-worker, Rebekah, that he's my boyfriend. "Ooh, he's yummy. I might just steal him from you," Rebekah says in her typical seductive voice. Her pouty lips formed a smirk.

Don't get any ideas, skank. I glare at her. She was really starting to get on my nerves. Her bleached blonde hair bounced as she walked away from me. I sigh deeply. I was starting to get really sick of these bitches I work with. The only one I could tolerate was Jenna, and she was behind the bar all the time. I march over to Damon, and I ask teasingly, "Any particular reason that you always end up in my section?"

"I may or may not have used mind manipulation on your hostess," he says inquisitively. He smirks at me. "Any particular reason as to why you ask?"

"'Course not! I'm not complaining," I say flirtatiously. My boss walks past me, and gives me the look that tells me I should be working and not socializing. "Anything I can get for you this evening, sir?" I correct, leaning in to him. My cleavage is a few inches away from him, and his brilliant blue eyes can't help but glance at my chest. His pupils dilate, and I can only imagine that he likes what he sees. I was wearing my favorite push-up bra, and I was sure that my boobs looked great in my work uniform. I did work at Hooters for a reason, you know.

"Yeah, I'll take a bourbon, miss," Damon says in a husky voice, his eyes never leaving my bust, "and maybe, I can take you home with me later tonight."

"Is that so?" I ask teasingly. "I'll go get your bourbon."

I give him a wink and walk away slowly, swaying my hips in a sultry manner. I run up to Jenna, with a spring in my step. I ask her to get his bourbon ready, and she gives me a sideways look. "Aw, hell, is he back?" she questions. She didn't like the drunks that come in here because she thought they were up to no good.

"Hey! Jenna, that's my boyfriend you're talking about," I scoff.

"Aw, hell," Jenna repeats. I give her a scowl, and wait for a lecture. She's so maternal for just being thirty-something. "Now, I told you that you should never date a customer. You know that all they want is what's between your legs. If they come into to this restaurant, you know damn well that's what they want. It sure as hell isn't going to be long term." I make an annoyed noise at her. "What?" She asks, "You don't look like the kind of girl to be having flings. Don't you have some sort of dream man in mind? I'm willing to bet that Damon isn't what you really want."

I was getting pretty sick of being told what I wanted. I gave her a glare and took the bourbon from her. I found myself wondering why he always ordered the bourbon. Maybe it was an old-school southern thing. It tasted like ass to me. I walk it over to his table, and set it down on a napkin next to him. "Here's your drink, sir. Anything else I can do for you this afternoon?"

He puts the glass to his lips and tips the glass of bourbon down. He chugs the entire drink, and gives me a playful drunk smirk. "Yeah you can. You can take the rest of the day off and come home with me. That's what you can do for me." His eyes glance down at my chest again.

I raise my brows suggestively. "I'll meet you at your car in ten," I flirt.

Damon takes out his wallet, and slides money onto the side of the table. He sends me a wink and says, "Alright, beautiful."

I finish up at work and walk out of Hooters. Damon's vintage blue Camaro pulls up to the entrance. His black hair is slightly disheveled from the wind. He lowers his sunglasses and says, "The chariot awaits." I smile at his cheesy line and excitedly get in the car.

His car radio is loudly playing Poison. "I didn't know vampires liked classic rock," I say over the blaring guitar music.

He proceeds to tell me about his eighties party phase. He proudly says, "I used to wear eyeliner, long hair, and I had two girls by my side at all times." I glare up at him and he corrects himself. "None of them were as beautiful as you are, of course."

We arrive at his house ten minutes later, and go to his living room. "Don't you ever get lonely in this big old house?" I ask, taking a seat next to him on the couch. The whole place had about twenty bedrooms, two dining rooms, four bathrooms, and six parlors. I knew vampires were lonely creatures, but this house was pretty ridiculous to live in by yourself.

"I suppose I do sometimes," he replies.

I scoot next to him on the couch. "I should probably come over more often to keep you company," I say flirtatiously. I lean towards him a little bit, showing him that I wanted to move on from talking. He leans in too, taking the hint very well. His hand goes to my cheek and he brings my face to his. His lips crush against mine hungrily. I grind my body against his muscular frame. His tongue traces my lower lip, and I moan as our tongues begin to swirl around together. He grips my ankles from behind him and with vampiric speed, carries me to a nearby bedroom. Before I know it, I'm on his bed and Damon's on top of me. His mouth goes to mine again. I viciously tug off his leather jacket, and toss it to the floor. I work my shirt off of my body, and he wriggles off his own. My hand playfully goes to his crotch, and I massage him through his jeans.

He lets out a single surprised moan followed by continuous noises of pleasure. I unzip his pants, I grip the waistband of his loosened jeans, and pull them down to his knees along with his boxers. My eyes immediately go to his length, and I am pleasantly surprised by what I see. His hand begins to sneak up my orange work shorts, and he quickly pulls them down to my ankles. There was now nothing separating our naked flesh but the thin layers of my undergarments. I kick my shorts off of my feet, and I feel his finger enter my panties. I moan loudly as his finger dives down further and eventually enters me. "Ah, oh god!" I exclaim. I was surprised at myself because I'd never been so vocal while being fingered before. He knew my sweet spots without even asking. He removes the rest of my underwear with his free hand. His fingers swirled inside of me, and I began to lose control over the involuntary noises I was making. His thumb made small circles over my clit, and my breathing begins to come in quick pants. I experience an orgasm. His fingers exit me slowly. "How about something bigger?" he asks playfully, motioning with his eyes to his erection.

"Damon, I haven't done this in a long time- I," I begin nervously. It had probably been two years since I'd been physical with a guy. Plus, he was considerably larger than anyone I've ever been with. My inexperience was a little bit embarrassing to talk about.

He puts a finger to my lips and mutters, "I'll start slow."

I smirk at him, and gave him a full invitation to proceed. I was certainly glad he was a vampire and couldn't get me pregnant or give me a disease. Instead of having to fuss with contraception, we could just go at it without any worries. Dating a vampire was a hell of a good idea. He grips my thighs and pulls my legs apart farther. He places his tip near my entrance, and pulls forward gently. I let out a small whine at the sudden full feeling, and he exits slowly. He begins to adapt to a steady pace that was gentle but still arousing. Damon's hardness slid against my walls in a way that make me moan uncontrollably. With each thrust he sped up slightly, challenging me. Eventually he reaches a perfect pace, and each of his thrusts angled directly onto a spot that made me weak at the knees. I bit my lip to keep from releasing a scream, but failed. His name came off of the tip of my tongue in a gasp. Damon leaned forward, and collapses onto me. His muscles crush against me, and his erection penetrates me deeper than before. I moan loudly, and his mouth goes to my neck. His hurried breath against my neck makes me shiver. He sends kisses up my neck, and he stops at my ear. He bites on my earlobe, and whispers, "Do you want me harder?" into my ear. I nod vigorously, and he throws me onto my stomach on the bed. He adjusts his length to my opening, and enters me quickly from behind. I let out loud moans as he pounds into me. I begin to pant, and I feel like I'm slowly going over the edge. A single loud scream escapes me, showing him that I'd had an explosive orgasm. He thrusts once more and releases a grunt. He finishes himself inside of me, and collapses to my side.

We sit together in silence for a half hour at least, just taking in each other's presence and reliving the act that we just did. I glance at him, and his striking blue eyes gaze right back at mine. "Damon, nobody has ever made me feel that good," I begin, "That was amazing."

"Why don't we do it again?" he asks suggestively. He begins to lean in closer to me.

"Oh please, my knees are still weak from the last orgasm you gave me," I respond, shaking my head viciously. "But, I can do this," I begin. I grip his length in my hand and feel it gradually become harder. I increase my speed, moving my fist down his erection. I get on all fours, and hover over his crotch. I put his tip in my mouth and suckle forcefully. I glance at him, and give him a wink. I try to shove the rest of him inside of my mouth, but begin to cough. Damon runs his fingers through my hair as I establish a steady pace. I bob downward too quickly and begin to gag again, so he directs my head to his tip. I swirl my tongue around his tip, and move my fist across the base simultaneously. I took breaks every so often. He made a loud noise out of pleasure once I continued to move my mouth over him. He began to throb inside of my mouth and I knew he was coming close to finishing. I quickened the pace of my mouth, and felt the warm liquid coat the inside of my mouth. Some of it started to slip from my mouth so I swallowed all of it immediately, and licked the rest of the salty liquid off of my lips. He looked at me as if I was the most generous person in existence. "I should probably go-ah, brush my teeth," I mutter awkwardly, "I'll be back, don't you worry." I knew that nothing spoiled the mood more than getting up to brush your teeth, but I didn't think he'd want to kiss me after going down on him.

I groped the wooden floor for a piece of clothing, and the first thing I came across was his shirt. I buttoned it up over my nude body, and left Damon in bed to go wash my mouth out. It wasn't until I got into the bathroom when I realized that I didn't bring my toothbrush, so instead I used his mouthwash that was placed conveniently on the counter. Why a vampire had mouthwash in the first place, I didn't know.

I glance at myself in his mirror, my lips reddened and my cheeks blushing. I swished the mouthwash around in my mouth and spit it out into the sink. I thought I looked pretty good in Damon's deep blue shirt. My hair was sticking up all over the place, and my forehead was dampened with sweat, but I had an undeniable glow. My knees were still pretty weak, and other parts of me were sore from his size. I felt like I had just stepped off of cloud nine. In truth, I hadn't felt so good since the first time I had tequila. I couldn't remember the first time I had an honest orgasm, aside from a vibrator. I smirked at this new woman I saw in the mirror. She was positively scandalous in all the right ways. I blew a kiss to my reflection and turned around to go back to the bedroom where Damon was.

Damon was still lounging in bed, only he had put his pants back on. "I like you in my shirt," he says to me once he sees me enter the room.

"Thank you. I'm only wearing it because I like seeing you without it," I say flirtatiously, complimenting his muscular physique. I walk to the bed, and sit down next to him. I spent the rest of the day in his arms, occasionally sharing kisses and enjoying the company of Damon. I got back to my apartment around eight, still wearing just Damon's shirt. I wasn't expecting Jeremy to be home until much later. He was supposed to go to Tyler's place.

"Jesus, Elena," Jeremy says once he sees me. He knew immediately what I had been up to.

"I thought you were going to Tyler's tonight," I responded, shocked. I immediately grabbed a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around my bare legs.

He eyes my hair and makes a face. "He's visiting his folks. I'm guessing you had a good day, Elena. Why don't you take a shower? You look pretty tousled."

I giggled at his use of the word tousled. "Damon's coming over tomorrow night, so you should probably find an excuse to not be here, if you know what I mean." I was inviting him over to my place for a change. I thought it would be a nice treat after my classes and work. Jeremy nods and I head off to the shower. I love the feeling of the warm water trickling over my naked body. I smile as I recall the events of the day. I begin to fantasize about Damon. I love everything about Damon, his humor, his gorgeous face, his ridiculously muscular frame, his warm kisses, and his unbelievable touch. I was absolutely in love with him! I was in love with a vampire and there was no going back.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I apologize for my absence. I've been very stressed out and I had a strong case of writer's block! Please enjoy the newest chapter. I tried to add more drama, for those who thought it was necessary. Please review! I love reading them, and they help me grow as a writer. Thank you.

-Rachel.

* * *

My friend from school, Caroline, called me around ten to tell me she wanted to meet up for coffee before our class. I met her at a coffee house nearby, and ordered a large mocha with chocolate chips and sprinkles. Caroline had a black dress on, and her smoky eye shadow brought out the grey-blue color in her eyes. She smiled at me when she saw me. "Hey, Elena, what are you up to these days?"

I take a big gulp of the sweet coffee, and began to tell her about Damon and our month we've had together so far. I quietly told her about how great the sex was, and how I'd never been happier. It was nice to share details with someone who wasn't my gay brother or a coworker. She told me she was happy for me, and that she wanted to meet him eventually. She went on to tell me about a British guy, Klaus, who she had been dating for a week or so. We talked about our dreamboat men as we finished up our coffees. Life was beginning to feel too good to be true. After we finished up our coffees we drove to our class. Class was pretty boring, and I found myself zoning out and thinking about Damon and what I wanted to do with him once he came over. I managed to get down the important notes even though I was preoccupied.

Later on in the afternoon, I showed up for my shift at Hooters. I felt more confident than I had in a while. Being ravaged by a man like Damon must do that to your self-confidence. I took a few orders for my afternoon shift. The two men at one of my tables ordered a huge order of chicken wings and a pitcher of Bud. I felt something pinch my behind, so I quickly turned around. I was half-expecting it to be Damon because of how often he appeared when I was working, but I was wrong. The source of the unwanted pinching came from a young blonde man in a suit. I gasped. "Keep your hands to yourself, mister!"

He smiled at me suggestively, "My mistake," he apologized in a thick British accent. The way his eyes scrutinized me gave me the creeps. I nodded, and walked away, looking back at him a few more times. Something about him was off, and I couldn't seem to place what it was. I decided to get back to work and not give it any thought. I didn't feel like ruining my good mood by being paranoid about my customers. I didn't need to worry about him just because he creeped me out, right? In my line of work, being creeped out by customers was probably normal. I walked past him with a tray of food and noticed his eyes on me again. Something about him was setting off my internal alarm. He was seriously making me uncomfortable.

"Elena," the British man called to me.

I opened my mouth to demand how he knew my name, but closed my mouth once I realized I was wearing a pretty visible nametag. "How can I help you?" I ask.

"Straight vodka on ice," he demands snappily.

I widen my eyes slightly at his rudeness. I may work in a restaurant, but that didn't mean I deserved to be treated like a dog. I walk away without saying anything. I walk over to Jenna, and give her the British man's order. "He ordered straight vodka on the rocks. If the ice happens to land on the floor, that's fine with me," I suggest in a mischievous tone of voice. I sure didn't like being treated like dirt. Jenna put the glass to her mouth and spits into it. I widen my eyes. She quickly stirs her spit in the drink with a mini straw and I let out a giggle. "Jenna!"

"Oops," Jenna says, winking at me.

I take the drink from her and walk it over to the British man's table. He doesn't thank me, he merely looks at me. "Anything else for you this evening, sir?" I ask, trying to sound polite when I was seething inside.

"Yes, lovely," he says. "You could start by not spitting in my drink." He grips my wrist in his tight grip and forcefully brings me closer to him. "My name is Klaus, I'd very much like you to give your boyfriend a message from me."

I remember that Klaus was the name of Caroline's new boyfriend. Certainly there weren't several Klaus' in one city. I try to recoil from grip on my wrist, but fail. In a panicked voice I say, "I don't know who you are, or what you want with my boyfriend, but you can tell him yourself! I am not a messenger." He narrows his eyes at me. "Now, for the last time, you get your hands off of me!" I retort in an angrier voice.

His tourniquet grip tightens even further. I feel like I'm seconds away from him breaking bones in my wrist. I open my mouth to scream, but he covers my mouth with his other arm. Before I can shout, he grabs me in a bear-like embrace. One of his arms is tightly placed over both of my arms, restraining me and any actions to free myself. Before anyone can see him doing this, he throws me over his back and he speedily brings me outside. He runs just as quickly as Damon. This is when I realize that he is a vampire, and may kill me. I can't call for help, and I can't escape him. I've never felt completely helpless before, and my fear of death begins to consume. If I could speak, I'd beg for my life. If I could move, I'd look for the first wooden object and I'd use it as a stake. I struggle against him, desperately trying to flee. Even though I knew I couldn't outrun him, nor could I fight him, I'd rather die fighting than being completely defenseless.

He moves me to the woods behind the restaurant and he throws me down to the ground. I land directly on my knees in a thud. Sharp pain suddenly hits me. I glance down at my legs and realize that there was blood trickling down from where I hit the ground. I have enough sense to know that vampires are attracted to blood. I get up quickly, and make my escape. I take off running, hoping that I can be free of this psychopath. I feel the blood drip down to my ankles. I let out a scream, but feel a cold hand cover my mouth once again. I bite down on his fingers, and he releases his hand abruptly. "What do you want from me?!" I shout at him, turning around to face him.

"Give your boyfriend a message from me," Klaus repeats, clearly irritated from my refusal, "or I will kill both of you." I nod. I understood that he was quite capable of killing me, and possibly getting to Damon. "Thank you, lovely, for not causing more ruckus. I hope you can forgive my actions, but I'm sure you understand it was necessary." He smiles lethally at me, and leans closer to me. "Now, for what I really want you for. I want you to tell Damon that he needs to procure Katherine Pierce for me. If he declines, I'll remove your heart, and his."

My eyes widen. I definitely wanted to keep my heart. "Why do you want Katherine?" I ask.

"She escaped me many years ago. The little rat has been running from me for the past five hundred years. I have reason to believe that Damon knows exactly where she is, and I want him to bring her to me."

"What are you going to do with her?" I question.

Klaus raises his brow at me, and the corner of his mouth curves into a vicious smirk. "I'm going to punish her, of course." I decide to let him leave it at that. I don't think I wanted to know the bloody details. I had no idea how Damon was going to get Katherine. I knew that I actually didn't want to know in the first place. This vampire shit was getting too confrontational. The world was getting too weird too quick. "Give him my message. If you fail, I'll have both of your hearts," The Britt says before disappearing into the woods.

"Fuck's sake," I grumble to myself, still trying to catch my breath. I clean off the blood and dirt from my knees using the sink of the bathroom. It stings like crazy, and I find myself wincing whenever soap goes near it. I hear a stall open, and my coworker, Rebekah, emerges. She glances at my leg like it's the nastiest thing she's ever seen. I send her a look that tells her not to worry about it. It was just a scrape.

"How the hell did that happen?" Rebekah, asks.

I glance at my knee that is still dripping blood. Various excuses flood my head, and the lamest one slips off of my tongue, "I ah, tripped," I mentally slap myself in the head.

She cackles. "How embarrassing. Hey, can you take the rest of my shift?"

"Can't. I've got a date tonight," I answer. I also had to tell my boyfriend that he had to capture his ex-girlfriend, or else some psycho would kill us.

She nods, and looks me up and down. I wait for her to leave before cleaning up the rest of my wound. My mind starts to drift to how I was going to tell Damon that he needed to procure Katherine. I imagined the conversation wasn't going to go too well. So much for having a casual evening without any fucking weird vampire crap! I started to worry for Damon, and thought about how he told me Katherine was stronger than him. Did he even stand a chance against his maker? I feel my stomach hit the ground in fear for his wellbeing. "Elena, you okay?" I hear my boss, John, yell from behind the bathroom door.

"I'm okay, just give me a second," I shout back. The bleeding eventually stops, so I exit the bathroom. I have about a half hour left of my shift, so I try my best to put on a smile and pretend like I'm not about to fall apart. My mask of happiness began to slip. I nearly went off on a guy that was looking at me wrong. I didn't feel like myself, I just wanted to tell Damon what happened and get it all over with. I end my shift, and get into my car. My eyes begin to tear up uncontrollably, and I have to pull over to get myself under control. In just a few hours, I'm going to have to break the news that will crush Damon. A choked cry escaped my mouth, and I begin to cry harder than I've ever remembered crying. I felt so defenseless, and so angry. I don't know who this Klaus asshole was, but what made him think he could walk all over us? I was facing a villain that I could never outrun, and never fight. I was getting angrier as the minutes passed. I felt pathetic for crying about it.

There was no way in hell I was going to let Klaus kill me or Damon. I'd help Damon track down that bitch Katherine myself. I'd tie her up; poison her, whatever was necessary. One thing was for sure; this waitress wasn't going to go down without a fight.

I wiped up the rogue mascara from my cheeks, and practiced narrowing my eyes to my rear-view mirror. I got back on the road, and drove to my apartment. I ended up putting on a tight red blouse with my nicest pair of jeans I had in my closet. I wore tall shoes, and a new attitude. Damon arrived at my door with a purple orchid. "Hey, beautiful," he greets. The man had on a dark grey suit with a black dress shirt and a white tie. His hair was gelled back perfectly. I could see myself in the shine of his patent leather shoes.

I smile when I see him, and he enters my apartment. He immediately goes in for a kiss, and I reject it. I slam the door behind us, and declare urgently, "We have a serious situation."

This takes him by surprise and he instantly is on edge. I tell him everything that happened today at the restaurant, and he is enraged. "That British bastard thinks he's entitled to harass my girlfriend?" he shouts. Damon shakes his head in disgust. "I can get Katherine easily, but I need to leave right now."

Easily? I raise my eyebrow. "What do you mean you can get her easily? I thought you said she was stronger than you," I point out.

"I can trick her into coming here. I'll lure her right into Klaus' hands. She won't see it coming," Damon says. He opens the door to my apartment, and leaves abruptly. He stops just outside of my door. "Sorry about what happened today," he says, his voice becoming increasingly more angry, "I'll make him pay for what he did."

"No, don't worry about it, Damon. Don't get yourself killed. Just, be careful, okay?" I ask him, leaning in for a small peck. He accepts the kiss graciously, and crushes his lips against mine quickly. His palm reaches out to my cheek and brings my face closer to his. His mouth parts with mine, and I pull away. "You sure I can't help?" I ask again.

Damon glances at his feet, "I wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt because of something that's my fault. All of what's happening to you is my fault. She's my ex, and I'll be sure to deal with her. I know exactly how to get her to cooperate." I really didn't want to know.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Alright, I know it's been a while since I updated. I've spent quite a big chunk of time in the hospital, and it's taken me a bit of time to get some of my creative energy back. I'm sorry. Please accept the next few chapters of Delena as a form of apology. I hope you're all enjoying the new season. Thank you for reading, lovely people. Enjoy and review!

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I tried not to be afraid. This entire week was hell. I was so worried for Damon's safety. When I wasn't waiting for a text from Damon, I was debating sending another. He ended up calling me at the end of Thursday. I was sitting around in my apartment, after a long day at work.

"I'm sorry I couldn't call you earlier, Elena. I got Katherine," Damon said with apology in his voice. I could hear his Camaro's loud V8 engine in the background, convincing me that he was finally on his way back to me. I heard muffled yelling in the background, probably from Katherine. From the sounds of it, she was gagged. "She was more than happy to accompany me. I'm sure her and Klaus have a lot of catching up to do." Damon laughs slightly. I really couldn't blame him for being mean to her. I'm sure if someone cheated on me with my sibling, I'd be bitter about it too.

The news of his safe return was as good as gold. I didn't want specifics on how he captured Katherine, but I was definitely happy the task was completed. I excitedly asked, "When do you get back home? We should… celebrate."

"I'm ten minutes away," Damon answers. I could tell that he wanted nothing more than to be away from Katherine. Suddenly, there was a loud crash followed by the sound of breaking glass.

"Damon?" I ask into my phone. "What the hell was that?" My stomach drops to my feet, and I'm filled with a terrifying suspicion that Katherine did something. Did she make them crash? Damon was strong, and I had a hard time thinking of someone overpowering him. Then again, Katherine was his maker. I began to panic. "Listen, Katherine," I start. I was close to hyperventilating. "Please don't hurt him," I pleaded.

There was silence for a long time. "What will you do for me?" Katherine asks. Her voice is shockingly similar to mine. "Damon has been a pain in my ass for _so long_. He's like a lost puppy dog, Elena. He'll _never_ leave you alone. I'm surprised you chose _him_ over _the other one_. When Damon is in love with you, you'll never be free. You want kids? That'll _never_ happen. You want to grow old with someone and have a future outside of being a monster? That'll _never_ happen. And you know why? Damon will _never_ leave you alone. I guess that's why he's so much fun in bed. He needs to make up for it…_somehow._" She giggles. "He's just so pathetic."

Katherine was starting to get on my nerves. I didn't see why she felt the need to insult him when she was the one who was the two-timing whore. I also didn't want to talk about Damon's bedroom capabilities with his ex. "Also, Elena," Katherine hissed my name, "he still wants me no matter what I do."

I hear Damon yell in pain and Katherine laugh in the background. "You keep your filthy hands off of him, Katherine!" I yell. I am so sick of vampires thinking they can just torture whoever they pleased. I didn't care if the bitch came after me, if she hurt Damon again; I'd deliver her to Klaus myself. "You hear me? You leave him alone!" The line is silent. The doorbell rings, eliciting a gasp. "Who is it?" I call towards the door. They begin to pound on the door. The knob starts to shake violently. "It's a bad time!" I shout. They don't leave me alone, they continue to knock. I begin to fear that it's a vampire. "WHAT?!" I scream.

The lock on the door cracks and the person behind the door opens it quickly. It was Katherine, holding Damon by the collar of his black shirt. I was so stunned by how much we looked alike. It was like looking into a mirror. She throws Damon down to the solid wooden floors of my apartment. I instantly run to him, and notice his face is bloody. Three gashes on his cheek were gushing blood, creating a small pool on my floor. Katherine looks at me for a long while. "So we really do look alike," Katherine declares, "I mean, you obviously are _far_ inferior. You're like me on a bad day." Katherine giggles. I send her a glare, showing her that I certainly wasn't amused. "Relax, Elena. I didn't hurt him _that_ bad. Are you aware that your boyfriend over here tried to kidnap me? I'm sure that the few scratches I gave him were completely justified." Katherine's curls bounce as she walks closer towards me.

"Eat shit, Katherine," Damon coughed out. His face had already healed, leaving three pink marks in their places.

"You tied me up and put me in your trunk!" she yelled back.

"Details, details," Damon shrugs. He gets up from the floor and stands in front of me, shielding me from Katherine.

Katherine walks towards him and puts her hand on his chest. "You tied me up with vervain ropes, Damon. You've been_ very_ naughty, I think you deserve a little more than a slap on the wrist," she says. She winks at him.

"What the hell is going on?" I demand in an exasperated tone. I didn't expect her to look_ so_ much like me. "How do we look exactly alike?"

Katherine turns from Damon and faces me again. "You're my doppelganger, it's kind of like a twin, only spread out over a few generations. You didn't tell her, Damon?"

I look over to Damon accusingly. "I didn't think that it would matter if you looked alike. Elena is nothing like you, and that's why I'm with her. She's kind, empathetic, and she didn't fuck my brother behind my back," Damon says. His eyes were blank.

Katherine laughs, and turns to me, "Elena, if you met Stefan, you'd want him."

I glance at the clock, and realize that Jeremy would be back from work any minute. "Shit," I curse to myself. I tell Damon, "Jeremy _can't_ see her here."

Katherine laughs and heads to the door. "I know where I'm not welcome. Goodbye, Elena. I'll be _around_." She disappeared before either of us could catch up with her. Damon instantly went to my side, and put his arm over my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" Damon asks.

"Why are you asking me if I'm okay? You're the one who got hurt."

Damon looks to his shoes and responds, "No, I mean, are you angry with me? I was going to tell you about Katherine, but I just couldn't find the right words." His blue eyes find mine again.

I shrug, "Ask me in the morning. I've missed you too much to be angry." I lean in to him, and give him a peck on the cheek. He moves his face closer to mine, and our lips touch. I missed our kisses. I missed the taste of his mouth; a perfect combination of mint, bourbon, and smoke. His tongue finds mine, and he quickly lifts me up. I kick my legs around his hips, and start to grind against him. I hear the apartment door open, and Damon whooshes us into my bedroom. "Lock the door," I say.

"Jeremy's home, he'll hear," Damon warns.

"I don't care, Damon. I've missed you too much," I moan. I hear Jeremy complain about the busted doorknob, and I hear him call my name. He notices my bedroom door is closed and he laughs. I half expect him to leave to go to Tyler's, but he never does. The TV is on pretty loudly. I can only imagine that tomorrow morning will be awkward. I quickly lock my door, and sit down on my bed. Damon sits next to me.

I place my hand on his cheek, and pull him towards me. He looks into my eyes before closing the distance between our lips. He kisses me hard and quickly, and I begin to moan. Damon's hand slides up my skirt and his hand pushes my thong aside. His finger slides across my wetness a few times before he forces his finger inside of me. I moan loudly when he adds a second finger. I grab his hand, and guide him. He starts to increase his speed and I let go of his hand. I unbutton and unzip his jeans, and push them to the ground, along with his boxers. "I _need_ you," I say urgently. His fingers exit me, and he quickly positions himself above me. With vamp speed, he enters me and I let out a yell for more. I could tell that he was holding back a little. "Fast," I demand, and he delivers.

I remember that we were still partially clothed, so I reach for my top, and pull it over my head awkwardly. I unclasp my bra and throw it to the floor along with it. I pull at the buttons on Damon's shirt, until his chest is fully exposed. He tells me to keep my skirt on because it turns him on. I run my fingers over the hardness of his stomach, and moan loudly when he increases the speed of his thrusting again. He was going to make me sore in the morning, but I didn't care. He quickly exits me, changes our position so I'm on my knees, and enters me again before I can ask what he was doing. He begins to pound me even harder, and I lift my arm to wipe the sweat from my brow. Panting, I tell him I'm close to an orgasm. His finger finds my clit, and he massages it quickly. My whole body shakes, and I collapse onto my bed. Damon exits, and moves me back on my back. He orders me to open my legs again. "I can't- God, I'm tired." Damon lifts up my legs and he leans his face toward my clit. He looks up at me with his blue eyes full of lust. He massages my clit with his tongue and his fingers enter me again. Overwhelmed by exhaustion and pleasure, I sigh. Damon's tongue slides up and down, eliciting continuous moans from me. I pull his hair, and his fingers thrust quicker and quicker. I toss my head back and experience another intense orgasm with a scream.

I could only imagine how angry Jeremy was if he was still here. I guess I didn't care much, after all of the nights Jeremy and Tyler kept me up with their noises. Damon strokes my arm, and says, "I need to go home and feed."

I bite my lip, "No, you don't." I push my straight brown hair out of the way and extend my neck out, offering him my blood.

"Elena, you're exhausted."

"I don't want you to leave, Damon."

Damon quickly bites into his hand, "Drink from me."

I put his palm to my mouth and suckle on the wound. I could barely even feel his fangs puncture my neck. We drank each other's blood at the same time. His blood was so strong; I started to get turned on all over again. Damon was moaning against my neck, sending chills down my spine. I wanted nothing more than to feel him inside of me again. I moaned against his palm, and licked the blood from the wound until it closed and Damon released my neck. I felt dizzy, turned on, high, and everything in between. Something about tasting his blood made me feel like I could trust him with anything. "Wow," I mutter drunkenly. We stare into each other's eyes for a good minute before we were both too horny to stand it. Before he could ask me if I wanted to have sex again, I was on top of him, grinding against him. I couldn't go nearly as fast as Damon, so I let him guide my hips. I started getting so tired that I wanted to collapse on top of him and rest, but I could tell we weren't really done. My hair was so damp with sweat that I was almost positive I needed a shower after we finished.

"Fuck, Damon, I'm so tired," I pant. Damon tells me that he's close, and within a minute we're both finished and I fall onto the bed. He puts an arm around me and we share a tender kiss. "We need to do this more often," I say in ecstasy, still high from his blood.

"Every night," Damon agrees.

"Meeting you was the best thing that's happened to me in a long time," I say.

Damon's eyes look into mine deeply, and he responds, "I'm in love with you, Elena."

"I'm in love with you, too, Damon," I repeat back to him. It was the first time I ever believed it when I said it. Nobody made me feel the way Damon did. I fell asleep a few minutes later. When I woke up, Damon was still in my bed. I throw an oversized tee shirt over my naked body and throw Damon's clothes at him.

"Well, this will be awkward," I say, imagining Jeremy's face. "You can go back to your place if you want." Surprisingly, he sat through breakfast, unfazed. In fact, I could have sworn he had a smug grin on his face whenever Jeremy looked at him. None of us really said anything; we just sort of uncomfortably looked at each other. Damon left a few minutes after breakfast, and I started to get ready for a long day at work. I had school off, but I needed to put extra hours in at Hooters.

I applied my mascara in my bedroom mirror. Jeremy walks in, and stands behind me. He adjusts his hair in the mirror, and says, "You owe me big time, sis."

I roll my eyes and innocently ask, "for what exactly?"

"Not interrupting," he answers, laughing.

My eyes narrow. "You wouldn't dare."

He winks and leaves me to do the rest of my morning routine. I slide into my orange shorts, and realize I have a rather dark bruise on both sides of my thighs where Damon was gripping me. I try to cover them up, but end up making it more noticeable. I notice small little bruises on my stomach and back also. You know what they say; sex isn't good unless you wake up with a few bruises here and there. I decide to give up on trying to cover them up. The only thing that really needed covering was the hickey and bite mark on my neck. I was running low on time, so I put a bandage over it and called it a day. I get into my car and arrive at work five minutes later. The day went pretty slowly, but I got through the day knowing Damon loved me and I'd see him again soon.

I found myself wondering about what Katherine was up to, and where she was. She said she'd be around, but what the hell did that mean? Was she just going to appear and disappear as she pleased? I didn't exactly want to see her again, but maybe handing her over to Klaus would be a bad idea. Either way, she scared me, and I decided I'd let Damon deal with her.


End file.
